Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation scandal
The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) scandal was a major corruption scandal in the Maldives. In the scheme, more than $90 million was embezzled from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation. The scandal was made public by a 2016 investigation in Al Jazeera.[1] It culminated in the conviction and imprisonment of former president Abdulla Yameen.
Details
[edit]The embezzlement began ahead of the 2014 Maldivian parliamentary election, where funds from MMPRC were used to cover election costs and broker deals for votes in parliament. A second deal involved the leases of at least 50 islands being obtained by private companies for tourism development without public tender, for the benefit of several Maldivian government officials.[2][3]
It implicated former president Abdulla Yameen, who was charged with corruption and money laundering in 2019 in relation to the deals.[4] He was convicted in 2022, and sentenced to 11 years in prison.[5] A number of other lawmakers were also implicated.[3] As of 2023,[update] Maldivian Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission have investigated 338 people in connection with the scandal.[6] On April 18, 2024, Abdulla Yameen's 11-year prison sentence for money laundering and corruption was overturned by the Maldives High Court, which ordered a retrial on the grounds that the 2022 hearings were "unfair".[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Maldives government must act on new details in corruption scandal". Transparency International. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ Hill, Jordan (18 September 2018). "Report exposes Maldives 'orgy of corruption' ahead of election". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ a b "MMPRC scandal: list of beneficiaries grows to 267". Maldives Independent. 27 October 2019. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ Panda, Ankit (7 February 2019). "Former Maldives President Charged With Corruption, Money-Laundering". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ "Maldives former president Yameen gets 11-year jail term". Reuters. 2022-12-25. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
- ^ Shahid, Malika (28 February 2023). "Major Naveen to face prosecution in MMPRC scandal". The Edition. Retrieved 2023-05-22.
- ^ Junayd, Mohamed (18 April 2024). "Asia Pacific Maldives court overturns ex-president Yameen's jail term". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
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